It is Monday today and there seems to be a real break in the rain. So the whole country of Belgium and I converge on the photogenic town of Bruges during its final days of the Christmas market. Traffic builds as we drive closer to town center, and all public parking lots flash the word vol (full) in red,

so we take our chances and park on a quiet street under a kilometer away from the Grand Place and close to Howest, a college in West Flanders:

The last time I took you to Bruges, it was sunny and mild…and crowded. Today on a chilly winter day, it is equally congested in both of the Christmas markets I find in this city. I run across three in all but the third has mostly been dismounted so I don’t take any photos there.

Actually, it is crowded in just about every corner of the historic center of Bruges,

and everywhere you look there are people of all ages, colors, and levels of world weariness still mesmerized by this festive town’s holiday charm:

If you come to Belgium, you must spend at least a day in Bruges. You will remember it forever.

Tomorrow I’ll take you past the Bruges Christmas market crowds and show you more close-up shots of the city.